There are massacre that we regularly read in the newspapers. And
there are massacres where we are not told of, one of which
recently happened high up in the hinterlands of Mindanao with
Manobo tribals as victims.
Among all the massacres, the horrors suffered by the tribals are
perhaps the worst. They are killed not by the usual hardened
criminals or by a Senator's son, they are killed by the very
people who swore to defend and protect them: the soldiers of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The Manobos were killed not with the use of a simple knife, gun
or rifle but with rocket bombs and machine-gun bullets fired by
the state-of-the art MG520 assault helicopeters, OV-10 warplanes
and 105 howitzers. These war machines were used by the AFP in
indiscriminate and series of bombing operations for over two
months now in Agusan del Sur Surigao del Sur. Complementing these
war machines were the food and medical blockades and sheer
government neglect to complete the killing of the Lumads, this
time very slowly.
The bombings were done not for the sake of bombings but to be
able to flush out the tribals so a development activity
beneficial to the filthy rich, can prevail. This is the story.
The Surigao del Sur Bombings
The hinterlands of the towns of Lianga, San Miguel, Tandag and
Lanuza of Surigao del Sur province became the first targets of a
wave of bombing activities in the region last July 28, and then
again on August 5, 7, 16, 18 and 19 this year, according to the
Task Force Detainees of the Philippines. Along with the bombings,
infantry operations were also conducted. In both assaults over a
hundred families of Manobo and Mamanwa Lumads were displaced.
Worse, the food regularly bought and brought by the Lumads were
also blocked or their quantities restricted by the military; an
act which violates their basic human rights.
The Bayugan Massacre
On August 18 and 19, 1995, the 401st Infantry Brigade of the army
conducted a "war exercise" along the boundary of Augusan del Sur
and Surigao del Sur provinces. They dropped over 60 bombs. When
the smoke cleared, eight Manobo Lumads, including a child, lay
dead, their bodies mangled, dismembered and strewn all over the
place in a field in Sitio Labuo, Bgy. San Juan in Bayugan town,
Augusan del Sur.
Three children were also injured, one severely, who is still in
the custody of the military.
Army soldiers tried to cover the incident through lies and
deception. First they told the media that the wounded children
were accidentally hit after toying with a gun. But when human
rights group raised a howl, they admitted the killing of the
eight Manobos with the reason that they were used as shields of
the New People's Army. Then, AFP Chief Arturo Enrile changed the
story saying the killing was accidental in the course of their
counter-insurgency operations. Afterwhich, Enrile's subordinates
said that they misplotted the map in their bombing operations.
They also paid relatives of the victims in exchange for their
silence.
Survivors talking with their courage recounted the incident:
"The victims have raised a child and waved white cloth and
shouted that "We are civilians, spare us". After that bombs were
dropped and the scene that I've seen are chunks of human body
part scattered everywhere," says survivor Amalia Brital, 51, who
was only meters away from the bombings.
Amalia said right after the bombings, the pilots pumped
machinegun fires at the dead victims and at the two houses on the
field. Amalia, her husband and grandchild barely escaped the
machinegun fire had they not decided to jump out from the house
and run towards the forest.
Upon passing by the bodies, Amalia described what she saw: arms,
intestines, jaws, legs and head scalp scraped or severed from
frail human bodies. She lost her cousin-in-law, Bunsil-an Brital,
50.
Survivor Jessel Undayan, 13, said she saw the military aircrafts
flying to the level of a medium-size tree. "I don't think they
are blind not to identify my family as civilians. I'm certain
that they intended it."
Jessel lost her great grandmother, 60 year-old Mayda Ponso and
mother, 38 year-old Cayyanga Ponso. She herself barely survived
had she not hid away from the pilots' view in the bushes.
Arsenio Pelinio, a purok leader and a Manobo chieftain in Sitio
Labuo said they have not received any notice of bombing incident.
"I think the military are bent on driving us out of our land.
They might have some plans in these areas," says Innocencio Tana,
52, also a Manobo chieftain and a relative of five of the dead
victims.
Innocencio's five dead relatives were husband and wife Marcial
and Didi Tana who were killed along with their two teenaged
daughters Jocelyn and Vilma and a young son 9 year-old Borondos.
The bombings have resulted to the evacuation of over 84 families
in Agusan del Sur alone and have received little help from the
government.
San Luis Bombings
A five-day bombing spree that started September 10 also hit the
mountains of San Luis town, Agusan del Sur. The military said the
killed eight New People's Army guerillas. But priests and nuns
who work with the Lumads in the town said the victims are the
innocent Manobo, Talaandig and Banwaon tribals who were drive out
from their farms in the middle of their harvest.
Fr. Benjamin Alforque, San Luis parish priest said over 179
families of Talaandigs, Banwaons and Manobo Lumads evacuated to
barangay centers in the hinterlands who are now suffering of
hunger due to lack of food and medical assistance. Instead of
food, the tribals received bombs which comes three times daily
courtesy of the government's AFP.
Surigao del Sur Bombings: A Reprise
After the gory tales, the military did not cease the bombing
sorties. Again on September 13, the ground again shook the
highlands of San Miguel and Lianga after two helicopters dropped
over ten bombs. The pounding displaced over a thousand people
including children, the church-based Justice and Peace Action
Group-Tandag reported.
Bombing Madness: The Inside Story
A Soldarity Mission of religious and human rights advocates said
that the bombings were done in the pretext of the government's
rush to push the Philippines in the league of newly-
industrialized country by the year 2000. To push development
effectively, government has to open all the lands of the country
for exploitation to both the big local and foreign business at
the expense of the blood of poor Filipinos like the Lumads.
In San Miguel town, Surigao del Sur and Bayugan town, Agusan del
Sur, an application by an Australian firm called Climax Mining to
exploit over 100,000 hectares of land for mining at the very site
being bombed by the military is already being studied by the
Office of the President. Atlas Mining Co., one of the country's
biggest mining firm, have already began mineral exploration for
an open pit-mining plan in the bombed areas since 1993 but met
opposition from the tribals who consider the area as their
ancestral land and from the farmers who fear ecological
destruction that will affect their farms and the rivers.
Apart from mining, tree plantations were already started in the
area and more are being proposed.
In San Luis town in Agusan del Sur, wood companies and tree
plantations have already been set up. A banana plantations is also
being proposed to be set-up.
Militarization: The Twin Face of Development Aggresion
The bombings and the massacre have always been a sibling of
development projects. Militarization comes before or after
development sets in. It comes because it has to protect the
interests of big business and govemment development plans. The
incidents in Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur is part of this
strategy which have been applied across the nation.
The only difference in the past militarizations and the recent
bombings is that the government seems to be bent in eliminating
all clear and potential oppositions with the indiscriminate and
unhampered bombings in hinterlands. This is what we call
development aggression in its flesh and blood.
A Call To Action
Today's victims of development aggression are the helpless and
marginalized denizens of the countrysides. Most of them are
Lumads who are regarded by society as the wretched among the
wretched. As fortunate citizens, we have responsibility to help
the victims get justice and end the brutality applied to them by
the government
Among the simple help we can extend is writing government
officials and newspapers regarding our displeasure and
condemnation over the bombings and the killings, particularly of
eight Manobo Lumads in Agusan del Sur in the name of Philippines
2000. You can also discuss these horrifying incidents with your
peers, classmates and relatives so they may know what things are
not being shown to us. Possibly organize or join with persons
who are taking concrete actions like the Solidarity Action Group
for Indigenous People (SAGIP).
Call up your favorite AM or FM radio station an d let your opinions be heard.
Simple letters which you and your associates could put out will
help the Lumads attain a better position in their quest for
justice and survival from brutalities. You can also write to
SAGIP for more information about the killings and the bombings
and how you can help the Lumads.
These are some of the address whom you can write your rage to:
Fidel V. Ramos
President
Republic of the Philippines
Malacanang Manila
Gen. Arturo Enrile
Chief of Staff
Armed Forces of the Philippines
Camp Aquinaldo, Quezon City
Metro Manila
Col. Ernesto Carolina
Commander
401st Infantry Brigade
Prosperidad. Agusan del Sur
Percenita Lambaco
Provincial Officer
Office of the Southern Cultural Communities
Provincial Governement Complex
Patin-ay, Prosperidad
Augusan del Sur
Rhodora Rodillos
District Officer
Office of the Southern Cultural Communities
Patin-ay, Prosperidad
Augusan del Sur
SOLIDARITY ACTION GROUP FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
P.O. Box 80436
Davao City
Philippines
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un-edited copy of an information sheet produced by SAGIP
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